"Lu Zhonghe puts on such airs, yet he couldn't even wrangle a seat upstairs." Wang Huadu glanced ahead at Wenchao Pavilion and grinned broadly.
Liang Tai looked up at him, seeming about to speak, but in the end swallowed his words and lowered his head again.
"All right, all right, I'll shut it." Wang Huadu slung an arm around Liang Tai's shoulder with a chuckle. "Brother Shao is out negotiating business for the first time; I know when to behave."
Liang Tai grunted in acknowledgment.
Shao Shuyi merely watched quietly in the direction the serving boy had walked.
A large open patch of ground had been roped off there. At its center stood a small earthen knoll, situated some distance from the riverbank—safe from the water, yet commanding an unobstructed view of the Lou River bore. It truly was a prime vantage point.
Still, having witnessed the staggering power of the Qiantang River bore in his former life, Shao Shuyi felt the so-called Lou River bore hardly lived up to its name. The surging waves were tumultuous enough, crashing repeatedly against the embankment with roaring splashes, but their sheer force paled in comparison.
Perhaps it had to do with Xijin's location. If one wanted to watch the bore nowadays, they would likely have to head further east, preferably to Liujiagang. Or perhaps even the bore at Liujiagang could never rival the Qiantang River; their geography simply was not the same.
Atop the earthen knoll, a massive canopy had been pitched. Carpets were laid beneath it, flanked by low tables and attended by a flock of manservants and maidservants—a display of considerable extravagance.
Behind the hanging curtains where Shao Shuyi could not see, a woman stood facing the river, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Father often says the tides keep their word, and the merchant's way should follow suit. The waters ebb and flow, profits wax and wane, but what matters most is a solid foundation and never missing the monsoon winds," she remarked casually, taking two steps forward as if to better hear the rushing waters.
She wore a red, round-collared robe. Her hair was bound in a low bun, pinned diagonally with a glazed hairpin of the style popular during the Song dynasty.
Fine gold wires quivered at the pin's head, woven into intertwined peony blossoms, radiating sheer opulence.
The river wind grew stronger, lifting the sheer gauze along the edge of her veiled hat to reveal a face as lustrous as white jade.
Lifting a pale, delicate hand, she pressed down on the rim of her hat and continued, "Once the autumn bore subsides and the seasonal winds shift, the fleet must set sail. There is little time to dally. Zheng Fan asking for sixty percent of one ship's profit is hardly unreasonable."
Today, Lu Zhonghe wore a fitted jisün robe of gold-woven brocade. A jade belt cinched his waist, hung with pouches, a jade pendant, and a small knife that clinked melodiously with every step, giving him the air of an elegant, dashing young gentleman.
Hearing the words of his wife, Lady Shen, he could not help shaking his head with a wry laugh. "It shall be as my worthy wife says. However—"
The woman tilted her head slightly and cast him a look.
Lu Zhonghe cleared his throat. "I merely wish to drive the price down and save your father some silver. Just watch your husband's methods, my dear."
The woman turned her gaze back toward midstream and said no more.
At that moment, a pale line of surf appeared on the horizon, resembling a silver thread at first before rapidly turning into the charge of ten thousand galloping steeds, accompanied by a faint, low roar.
Lu Zhonghe turned toward the rear, looking at Shao Shuyi and his two companions as the page led them forward.
They walked briskly, arriving at the base of the knoll in the blink of an eye.
*Rumble!* The surging tidal crest crashed violently against the riverbank, sending fine mist soaring into the air, refracting rainbows in the sunlight.
"Master Lu." Shao Shuyi and the other two halted and bowed from a distance.
Lu Zhonghe clasped his hands behind his back and merely grunted in reply.
Lady Shen glanced down at the three men beneath the knoll, then looked over at her husband.
As if feeling the weight of Lady Shen's gaze, Lu Zhonghe reluctantly clasped his hands in return and slowly descended the mound.
"Did you see the river bore?" he asked.
Puzzled, Shao Shuyi replied, "Naturally, I saw it."
"The storms at sea are ten times fiercer than this," Lu Zhonghe said. "The great ships set sail from Liujiagang, proceed first to Quanzhou, and then head south. With favorable winds, it takes seven days and nights to reach Kunlun Island, enduring hardships beyond words. But enough—you likely do not even know where Kunlun Island is, and speaking to you is truly playing a lute to an ox. I shall cut straight to the point: regarding your family's thirty thousand pieces of celadon—"
"Do you mean Kunlun Island off the coast of Champa?"
Shao Shuyi sneered inwardly. *You talk as if no one else has ever vacationed in Vietnam. Think you're the only one who knows?*
Lu Zhonghe froze in astonishment.
Word had it that this youth was two or three years younger than him; how could he know such obscure overseas lore? Nor had he heard of the boy associating with any maritime seafaring lineages. Even Lu Zhonghe himself had only gradually learned these things after marrying into Shen Wansan's family.
By what right did an ordinary accountant know this?
Doubts surged in Lu Zhonghe's mind, yet he quickly forced himself to look composed. Giving a cold snort, he turned his back as though gazing out at the tidal bore, seizing the moment to collect his thoughts and make rapid calculations.
Shao Shuyi felt a touch helpless. *What kind of person is this?*
In truth, he had arrived today with his own calculations: to make a favorable acquaintance with the Shen family's representative. More friends meant more paths forward, which would serve his future development well. Yet matters had taken an unexpected turn.
He reflected on his words and conduct just now; nothing seemed out of line, did it?
While Shao Shuyi was pondering, Lu Zhonghe seemed to regain his footing. Turning around, his tone resumed its earlier condescension: "Can knowing a few place names brave the ocean's perils? Fleets, sea charts, monsoon winds, and even ties with the native chieftains of foreign trading ports along the route—which of these was not built over generations, bought with pure silver and gold, and paved with human lives? Your Zheng family offers thirty thousand pieces of celadon. It sounds like a great deal, but in truth it accounts for merely the 'cargo capital' of this venture. As for the 'ship capital,' 'crew capital,' and 'route capital,' they are all borne entirely by our Shen and Ye families! We bear the lion's share of the risk, yet you open your mouth and demand sixty percent of a ship's profits. Do you not find that a bit... presumptuous? Who lacks your celadon wares? Does the Shen family lack the coin to purchase thirty thousand pieces of celadon?"
Pausing slightly, his gaze swept over Liang Tai, standing like an iron pagoda behind Shao Shuyi, and Wang Huadu with his shifty eyes. A faint, derisive sneer touched the corners of Lu Zhonghe's lips. "Zheng Yifang sending you to negotiate shows he never truly took you seriously. Young man, do not let others use you as a pebble to test the waters without even knowing it."
Shao Shuyi found it rather amusing.
This Lu Zhonghe was at most eighteen, yet he spoke with such solemn, pompous gravity, genuinely fancying himself someone of great importance.
In business, driving down the price was normal—he understood that well enough. But judging by the fellow's demeanor, he was not merely testing the waters; he was venting his own petty frustrations.
In short, he was putting on a pompous show!
"Master Lu speaks the truth," Shao Shuyi said, clasping his hands politely. "The perils of the sea cannot be fully understood without experiencing them firsthand. As the Zheng family is newly entering this trade, we rely heavily on the Shen family. For that very reason, we hope all the more for an enduring partnership. Sixty percent of the profit was hardly blurted out on a whim. Moreover, does the capital provided by the Zheng family truly consist of only these thirty thousand pieces of celadon? Why not go back and ask again?"
At these words, Lu Zhonghe looked startled and uncertain.
Shao Shuyi had been watching his expression, and now felt a prickle of surprise himself.
Had Shen Rong not explained the underlying logic of this deal to him? Helping Ye Shijian secure the post of Deputy Myriad Household Commander was the Zheng family's greatest investment. Furthermore, such an investment could never be settled through a single venture; ongoing cooperation would follow. What in the world was this fellow playing at?
Seeing him remain silent, Shao Shuyi drew a sheaf of papers from his breast pocket and said, "Master Lu may wish to look over this contract."
Lu Zhonghe took it instinctively. Across the top, it read: *Covenant for Joint Operation of Celadon and Spices between Zheng of Taicang, Shen of Changzhou, and Ye of Chongming.*
His gaze moved downward, finding that it contained a substantial amount of detail.
The Shen and Ye families were to provide ship capital, including vessel loans, crew wages, rations, freshwater, medicine, weapons, and even tributary gifts for foreign realms.
The Zheng family was to provide cargo capital—namely, the nearly thirty thousand pieces of celadon.
The three parties agreed that the Zheng family would take sixty percent of this ship's profits, while the Shen and Ye families would jointly take forty percent.
None of this was out of the ordinary; these were simply the terms Zheng Fan had proposed earlier, which the Shen family had essentially accepted. They were already preparing to ask the Ye family to allocate a medium-sized ship to carry the thirty thousand celadon pieces south alongside vessels loaded with other goods.
Yet there was more below, laid out in explicit clauses:
"First: Maritime transport carries unpredictable hazards; a ten percent loss is mutually agreed upon as a fair threshold of allowable breakage and attrition. Any cargo loss within ten percent shall be borne solely by the Zheng family. Should the loss exceed ten percent, the surplus damage shall be deducted and compensated from the profit shares due to the Shen and Ye families.
"Second: If through natural disasters or human calamities—such as capsizing in tempests, wrecking upon reefs, plunder by sea bandits, or seizure by foreign domains—both ship and cargo are entirely lost, both the vessel capital and the cargo capital shall be mutually written off, and none of the three parties shall seek compensation from the others.
"Third: If due to improper command by the ship's masters..."
These clauses alone made veins throb on Lu Zhonghe's forehead, so much so that he could not even be bothered to read the remaining sections regarding how the Zheng family would post overseers aboard, how spices would be procured at the destination (Srivijaya), how profits would be distributed upon return, and how disputes would be arbitrated.
He felt thoroughly insulted. The other party had arrived impeccably prepared, with meticulous foresight, whereas he had treated the meeting casually. He had assumed that with his mind steeped in poetry and books, he could effortlessly cow a vulgar accountant through easy banter—just as the operas always told it. When a fair maiden met with trouble, was it not always a scholar who came to the rescue? And was it not scholars whom fair maidens threw themselves at?
Yet today's exchange had slipped completely from his grasp, leaving him flustered and severely humiliated.
At the thought that his wife behind the curtain had likely overheard their conversation, Lu Zhonghe burned with mortification.
"Artful words and slick rhetoric!" Lu Zhonghe barked. "Market conditions overseas shift in an instant; how can you fix them in advance? A contract? Out on the high seas, a contract is nothing more than scrap paper! Accountant Shao, my Shen family came with sincere intentions to cooperate, yet here you are playing word games. Are you taking advantage of my youth, or do you think my Shen family cannot set sail without your Zheng family's handful of pots?"
"May I ask Master Lu, among those who venture overseas for foreign trade nowadays, who does not draft a contract? Even barbarian merchants know to find a broker to act as guarantor and execute a covenant," Shao Shuyi said calmly. "Could it be that you are not even the equal of barbarians?"
Lu Zhonghe was struck dumb, his face flushing an even deeper crimson.
Doted upon and lauded since childhood, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? Just as he was about to erupt in fury, a voice sounded from the earthen knoll above: "Bring it here."
The tone was calm, yet brooked no argument.
Lu Zhonghe's expression flickered erratically before he finally yielded, clutching the contract as he trudged back up.
Behind Shao Shuyi, Wang Huadu snickered and whispered, "Cocked his tail up to the sky at first like he was somebody grand. Who'd have thought he's kept under the tight thumb of the lioness back home?"
"You know all about it, do you?" Shao Shuyi turned his head and chided him with a laugh.
"How wouldn't I know?" Wang Huadu muttered. "This Lu Zhonghe clearly grew up in the lap of luxury, with everything going his way. Ha, maybe he married into the Shen family as a matrilocal son-in-law, brooding with grievance day in and day out. Doesn't dare breathe a word of anger at his lady, so he can only throw his weight around at outsiders."
"Shut up, don't ruin my business," Shao Shuyi snapped softly, cutting him off before he took it too far.
Behind the curtain, Lu Zhonghe handed the contract to Lady Shen, complaining indignantly, "You heard everything? Where did the Zheng family unearth such a sharp-tongued, devious brat! Utterly ungrateful!"
Lady Shen slowly took the document and examined it with meticulous care. Then, her eyes fell upon her husband's face, flushed with resentment. Parting her vermilion lips, her voice remained gentle yet held a cool detachment: "You are rather impetuous today. Do you feel you lost face by being bested before me by a plain-robed youth?"
Struck right where it stung, Lu Zhonghe's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Lady Shen looked away, her fingertip gently brushing the woven gold vines of her glazed hairpin. "This contract is written exceedingly well. The clauses are crystal clear. Some might find them overly stringent, but they eliminate endless wrangling and bad faith. In business, one must sometimes be magnanimous, and sometimes calculate down to the last copper. This accountant is a talent. What is his name?"
Lu Zhonghe was at a loss for words; he had never even bothered to ask, knowing only his surname was Shao.
Lady Shen let out a soft sigh. "Father often remarks that the merchant's way shuns anger, shuns haste, and above all shuns underestimating any adversary, regardless of their station. This accountant is no ordinary person. That the Zheng family can employ him is their good fortune."
She directed her gaze toward the three men below. The river breeze lightly fluttered the veil of her hat, soon affording her a clear view of them.
"Never mind. I shall take this contract back for my elder brother to review. Calm yourself; we still have to deal with the Zheng family in the days ahead." Lady Shen looked at her husband again. "I had to plead hard to secure this assignment for you. Say nothing more after this, lest you only make things worse."
Looking upon his wife's placid, unruffled countenance and listening to her measured yet heavy words, the fire in Lu Zhonghe's chest did not die down. Instead, it flared into another emotion, far more scorching and unspeakable—a bitter mixture of defeat, humiliation, and a quiet jealousy he dared not examine too closely.
Chapter 37